Automatic coke wharf



y 42 B. w. WI NSHIP Em. 2,288,163

AUTOMATIC COKE WHARF Filed July 2, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet l y 1942' B. w. WINSHIP ET AL AUTOMATIC COKE WHARF 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2, 1940 I fie] MHZ 6 Shee ts-Sheet 3 m ZIIW mtg-QM y 7, 1942- B. w. WINSHIP ET AL AUTOMATIC COKE WHARF Filed July 2, 1940 y 7, 1942- B. w. WINSHIP ET AL AUTOMATIC COKE WHARF Filed July 2, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 1? my M11224 07 1 7 July 7, 1942. B. w. WINSHIP ET AL AUTOMATIC COKE WHARF Filed July 2, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 fan- V e gloyd s. 122- July7, 1942. B. w. WINSHIP ET AL. 2,288,763

AUTOMATIC COKE WHARF Filed July 2, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented July 7, 1942 mam v AUTOMATIC ooxa wnaar Eckhardt,

Be iamin w. wimp, Orchard rm,- mm

Hamburg, N. Y.,

lehem Steel Company, a corporation of Pennlvania asaignorl to Beth- Application July 2, 1940, Serial N0. 343,824 9 Claims. ((3. 214-18) matically operating and controlling the gates for a coke wharf. and the conveying, crushing, screening and car loading devices associated therewith. v

In the manufacture of coke, the hot coke as soon as it is discharged from the coking chamber, such as a retort coke oven is received in a car usually of the inclined bottom side dump hopper type, and carried to a quenching station where a stream of water is sprayed onto the hot coke.

The coke having been quenched is then taken to the coke wharf and dumped from the quenching car onto the inclined top surface of the wharf where it is allowed to remain for several minutes in order that the heat in the coke may evaporate the moisture remaining in the coke from the quenching water.

y The coke is retained upon the wharf by a series of gates at the lower edge, said gates being in usual practice from two to five feet wide, and so hinged and counterweighted that they can be hand operated by a series of levers extending to the vicinity of a walkway which extends parallel to the wharf at an-elevation somewhat above the lower edge of the wharf.

The rate of flow of the coke from the wharf is regulated by the height to which the gate is lifted. The irregular size of the lumps of which I the material is composed makes the regulation of the flow difficult, requiring the constant attention of the operator and frequently resulting in an excess load upon the conveyer belt which conoverload not only causes spillage from the belt but frequently causes damage to the belts and in addition results in ineillcient operation of the crushers, screens, etc., to which the coke is conveyed. l

In the usual practice, the material falling at right angles to the direction of travel of the belt and because of the variation of conditions prevailing at the regulating gate must of necessity be restrained between the skirt boards which extend'vertically down to close proximity to the belt. The hard and abrasive nature of the pieces of coke which are drawn the skirt boards and the belt cause a rapid destruction of the belt at this point.

The coke dropping as it does at approximately right angles to the direction of travel of the belt also produces serious wear upon the belt.

One of the objects of our invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the gates for the wharfwhich comprise a plurality of small individual gates each hinged and counterweighted separately and spaced with such frequency between the edges of that lifting one gate to its full height will not displace enough coke to overload the belt.

Another object of our invention relates to the means for lifting the gates in succession and holding them open long enough to allow the wharf to clear itself. This is accomplished by areciprocating feeder car running on rails supported near the conveyer belt. This car is equipped with a lifter bar having a track or cam surface so devised that it lifts the gates in succession and holds them open while the car passes under them, when travelling in one direction and then allows them to close by gravity after its passage for the receipt ofvother coke dumpedon the wharf.

made to travel can be made to govern the rate at which the material is delivered to theflbelt,

. veys the coke to the crushers and screens. Such crushers, screens, etc. The feeder carand supporting structure are provided with means which will allow the lifter bar to be lowered away from contact with the gates when the length of the wharf has been travelled so that the feeder car will be returned to the opposite end of the wharf to again start the unloading of the wharf.

Another feature of our invention relates to the manner of forming the hopper of the feeder car with inclined fingers forming-a grate to distribute the coke over the belt in its line of travel, the

fines passing through the fingers and forming a.

cushion for larger lumps which will be distributed over the endof the inclined grate fingers.

Another object of. the invention relates to the manner of connecting the reversing limit switches on the feeder car so the lifter bar will be raised at oneend of its line of travel and lowered at the end of its reverse movement and at the same time reverse and otherwise control the driving motor so that the feeder car once started will continue its operation uninterruptedly.

A further object of our invention is to have a 1 heat sensitive cell at the point where the coke enters the hopper of the feeder car having an electrical connection with the control mechanism so that any or all of the following functions will -be .automatically performed if hot material which would injure the belt were to be fed from the wharf. First, stop the feeder car thereby stopping further progress into the hot area; Second, drop the lifter bar thereby stopping the flow of material in motion on the wharf by" re turning the gates to their closed position.

Third, sound an alarm or light a warning lamp to call the operator to rectify the condition.

Another object of 2,288,763 UN D v STATES "PATENT. OFFICE.

our invention relates to the the entire operation automatically from one central station and to interlock electrically the whole equipment with the conveyer belt control so that feeding would stop automatically in case i of stoppage of any part of the equipmentfurther along in the operation, The primary con-' trol of the whole train of conveyer gates, crushers and screens are interlocked with the car moving device at the loading station and the whole series may be controlled either by a heat sensitive cell, switches actuated by the movement of the cars, or relays operated by a circuit through the coke as it is built up in the cars to the proper height. r v

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

Referring now to the accompanying six sheetsof drawings which form a part of this specification and on which like characters of reference indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a coke wharf with parts broken away to more clearly show the construction;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of the coke wharf taken on the line 2'-2 of Figure 3, with parts broken away to illustrate the manner of operating the gates; Figure 3 is a transverse section through the coke wharf taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure ,4 is a longitudinal section through a portion of-the feeder car taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a transverse section through a central portion of the feeder car taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of the coke wharf taken on the line 66 of Figure 3 showing the manner of opening and closing the gates; I

Figure 7 illustrates diagrammatically the general arrangement of our automatic cokeJ-oading station;

Figure 8 is a transverse section taken through the coke loading station taken on the line 8--8 of Figure '7;

Figure 9 illustrates the position of the photoelectric cells in their relative position tothe car at the beginning of the car loading operation; and

. Fig. 10 is a wiring diagram of the electric circuits and switches etc. controlling the auto matic coke wharf and associated equipment.

Referring now to the characters of reference on the drawings, l indicates the batteries of retort coke ovens from which coke 2 is pushed into aninclined-bottom side dump hopper car3, after which itis taken to the quenching station 4. As above described, the coke having been quenched is transported to the coke wharf and dumped from the quenching car onto the inclined top be conveyed without injury to the conveyer belts may be cooled and such parts as show a tendency to ignite may be further quenched by a small Jet of water.

At the lower end of the wharf is an endless conveyer belt 8 which is driven by a motor h This conveyer belt 8 is adapted to receive the coke as it isfed from the wharf 5. In our invention-the coke isretained on the wharf by means of a plurality of small narrow individual gates 8 which are adapted to close the lower end of the inclined wharf 5 and serve to regulate the passage of the coke 2 from the wharf to the conveyer belt 6.- Each of these gates 8 has an arm 9 pivotedat an intermediate point as at Hi to brackets H extending downwardly from the superstructurel2 for a walkway I3. The arm 9 for each gate is provided with a roller l4 which is attached to the underside of the arm 9 between lhe pivotal point In and the gate 8 for engaging. the cam surface or track l5 of' a lifter bar l8, mounted on a feeder car I'I.

Guides l8 are also secured to the superstructure I2 and extend downwardly therefrom on each side of the arms 9 to prevent their lateral movement, and to facilitate the operation of the gates a counterweight I9 is mounted on the end of each arm 9 opposite to that of the gate 8.

The feeder car II which is provided with the lifter bar l6 for engaging the rollers l4 to raise the gates 8 is mounted above the belt conveyer 8, with its wheels 20 running on rails 2| at the sides thereof. This feeder car I1 is driven by a motor 22 which has its shaft 23 directly connected to one of the axles 24 of the feeder car by means of reduction gearing 25. The feeder car I1 is surface of the wharf 5 from the right hand end of the wharf as indicated in Figure '7 to the left hand end where it is allowed to remain'forseveral minutes in order that the residual heatin. the coke may evaporate the moisture remaining in the coke from the quenching water. It is also desirable that the coke be spread out in a rela-- tively thin layer on the wharf as indicated in Figures 1 and 3 so that pieces of coke still too hot to adapted to travel forward and backward on the rails -or track 2| adjacent to the coke wharf 5 and the lifter bar l6 may be electrically connected to raise the gates while the feeder car is travelling in either direction but for illustration as indicated in Figure 7 of the drawings the lifter bar I8 is raised to open the gates while the feeder car is travelling from right to left, and so the gates will remain closed while the feeder ,car is travelling in the reverse direction.

At the beginning of the coke feeding operation the feeder car I! will be in the position diagrammatically indicated in full lines lin Figure 7 with the switches in the position indicated in Figure 10 with the reversing limit switch 26 closed and the coil 21 of the solenoid is energized to raise the T-shaped magnet 28 which has a cylindrical extension 29 of non-magnetic material such as bronze or the like attached to its upper end for engagingthe central portion of the lifter bar It which may also be made of the same non-mag-' netic material and is guided in its vertical movement by means of downwardly extending leg extensions 30 slidably movable in slideways 3| in the feeder car frame 32.

The coil 21 of the solenoid is enclosed in an iron or soft steel shell 33 which is flanged at its lower edge as at 34 and welded or otherwise secured to the car frame 32. A plate 35 and cup shaped member 35 made of non-magnetic material is secured to the lower flange 34 of the shell for the solenoid for retaining and guiding the magnet 28 in its vertical movement. The top surface or track l5 of the lifter bar It is provided with a horizontal portion with downwardly inclined ends for engaging the rollers l4 secured to the arms 9 for raising the gates 8.

The lifter bar 18, having been raised to the position indicated in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the feedcated in dottedlines in Figure 7, and in so doing the gates will be raised and lowered in succession as indicated in Figures 2, 3 and 6. The gates opening by means of the rollers I4 on the arms 9 riding up over the upwardly extending inclined forward top end surface of the lifter bar until they reach the horizontal top surface where the gates will be held open for a short time to allow the coke to be cleared from the wharf and then closed after the said rollers pass over the rear downwardly extending inclined top surface of the end portion of the lifter bar 18. When the feeder car I! reaches the forward end of its line of travel it engages and closes the reversing limit switch 31 thereby opening the reversing limit switch 26 and opening switch 38 controlling the current to the coil 21 thereby allowing'the lifter bar It to fall by gravity and the feeder car I! to return to its starting position without operating the gates 8.

As the gates are raised during the forward movement of the feeder car the coke from the wharf is discharged into a hopper 39 formed ,in the feeder car frame 32. The forward end of the hopper is provided with downwardly extending tapered fingers 40 forming a grating adapted to receive the coke and feed it to the conveyor belt 5 in the line of travel of said-conveyer belt. In this manner the fines passing through. the Spaces between the tapered fingers form a cushion for larger lumps of coke which will be distributed over the ends of the inclined fingers forming the grate.

When the coke is dumped on the wharf there are times when some portions of it may not have been properly quenched and too hot to be fed to the conveyer without injury thereto, and to prevent this an adjustable heat sensitive cell 4| is installed adjacent to the point where the coke enters thehopper 39. This heat sensitive cell 4| is adapted to control a relay switch 42 which will stop the forward movement of the feeder car at any point at which the temperature of the coke reaches the predetermined. setting, thereby automatically allowing the lifter bar to be lowered, closing the gates andstopping the feed.

The coke having been fed from the coke wharf onto the belt conveyer 6 is then advanced to a crusher operated by a motor 42, then to a screen operated by a motor 44 where the fines are separated and conveyed from a trough 45 to any desired point by suitable conveying means (not shown), while the larger pieces of coke are received on another belt conveyer 46 driven by the motor 41 and then delivered to third belt conveyer 48, which is disposed at right angles to conveyer 46 and driven by a motor 49 which delivers the coke to cars 50 which are loaded and then transported to any desired point. As these cars are of considerable length and the belt conveyer 48 is relatively narrow the cars have to be intermittently advanced along the track'at the loading station as each portion of the car has been filled to the desired height, this is accomplished by means of a winch-5i which is operated by means of a motor 52. Thewlnch being connected toathe cars being loaded by means of a cable 53.

Heretofore it has been the usual practice to operate by hand the controlling switch or switches of the motor 52 for the winch every time the car was advanced during the loading operation for each car. With our device, however; the loading aaaaves 3 er car I! is then advanced by means of the moand movements of the car is controlled automattor 22 to the opposite end of the wharf as indiically by means of photo-electric cells 54, 55 and 55 having amplifiers 54', 55' and 56 therefor, respectively. The position of these photo-electric cells in relation tothe car for the initial loading operation is shown in Figure 9. In this figure the coke fed to the car 50 has Just been piled up high enough at the forward end of the car to interrupt the beam of light and operate relays to actuate motor 52 for the winch 51. After the car 50 has been advanced to the dotted line position the beam of light from the photo-electric cell will be restored thereby operating relays to stop the winch. This operation will be automatically repeated until the car is full and the beam of the photo-electric cell "is beyond the end of the car which will actuate relays to automatically stop all feeding and conveyers and etc. and operate relays to again actuate the winch to move the car forward until both beams of the photo-electric cells 55 and 56 are in line with the side of the second car when relays will be actuated to stop the winch and start all feeders and conveyers to load the second car as above described. This car loading operation and the manner of automatically controlling the same will be described more fully hereinafter.

Having thus given a general detailed description of our invention, we will now describe the operation of the control circuits which automatically govern its operation.

Referring now to Figure 10 of the drawings, and to explain the operation of the coke wharf in relation to these control circuits, assume that an empty car is standing in the loading station in its initial position for loading, and that the conveyers, crushers, screens and feeder car are set up and ready to start. Initially the power supply knife switches 51 and 58 for the conveyers, crushers, screens, and the feeder car are closed. Then the knife switches 59 and 60 which energize the control circuits for conveyers, crushers, screens, and feeder car are closed.

When knife switch 59 is closed this actuates the relays 6| for energizing the circuits of the photo-electric cells 54, 55 and 56 and the relay 62 which energizes the circuits of the motors 1, 41 and 4!! driving the three conveyers, the motor 43 for the crushers, the motor 44 for the screens and the circuits controlling the operation of the feeder car H.

The feeder car [1' is started when relay 62 has energized relay 63 which is shown in the energized closed position and completes the control circuits for the feeder. Depending on whether the reversing limit switches 26 or 31 are closed the forward operating or the reverse operating closed and the forward switch 26 opened. The

opening and closing of these switches automatically change the circuits of the driving motor 22 and reverse the movement of the feeder car.

In Figure 10 the switch 25 is shown in the closed position, so that the circuits are set up for the forward movement of the feeder car I 1. The associated relay switches are shown in these posi- Wins just after the relay 83 has been closed. Now tracing the forward control circuits of the motor starting with switch 28, the current flows through conductor 84, bridging contacts of relay 85, conductors 88 and 81, the coil of the relay 88, conductor 88, the coil of relay 18, conductor 1|, the coil of relay 12, conductor 13, coil of relay 14, conductor 15, coil of relay 38, conductor 18, coil of relay '11, conductors 18 and 18, coil of relay 88, and conductor 8| back to positive conductor 82. This closes switches 88, 18, 14, 38 and 88 and opens switches 12 and 11 all of which are shown in these positions, respectively. At the same time current flows from negative conductors 83 through conductor 84, coil 21 of the gate lifter bar, conductor 85, bridging contact of relay 38, and conductors 88 and 81 back to positive conductor 82.. Also current flows from negative conductor 83 through conductor 88, the coil relay 88, conductor 88, bridging contacts of relay 14, conductors 8I and 81 to positive conductor 82. This closes relay 88 which is shown in the energized position.

With the actuation of these relays current flows through the feeder car motor 22 from positive power conductor 92, through conductor 83, overload relay coil 84, conductor 85, bridging contacts of relay 88 and conductor 88, where it divides,

and 88. This will cause a current to flow through the armature 81 of the feeding car motor 22 in the opposite direction since current will now flow from conductor 95 through bridging contacts of relays II8, conductor I22, armature 81, conductor I23, bridging contacts of relay I2I, to conductor I88 and thence, as heretofore described, this will start the car up at a relatively faster rate of speed than before because shunt 88 is not in the circuit which allows more current to flow through the armature 81.

The motor 22 will now be accelerated in a manner similar to the forward acceleration.

When relay I28 is actuated its upper contacts will energize the coil of relay I24. Relay I24 is identical to relay H8 and will accordingly be actuated after a designated time lapse, whereupon it will similarly energize relay II1. Thus the mechanism for shunting out resistors IM and H2 and I82 and H3 will be again actuated. However, when relay I I5 is allowed to close, relay I24 will be actuated since the bridging contacts of relay 11 will now be closed. Thus resistor I83 will be shunted and the motor will be accelerated to a much higher speed on the return run. The gate lifter bar I8 will be lowered on the return trip since its coil 21 will be deenergized. When the feeder car I1 has reached the end of its repart of it flowing through armature 81 andipart I through resistor 88 by means of the lowerbridging contacts of relay 88 to conductor 98 where the parts rejoin, then through bridging contacts of relay 18, conductor I88, series resistors I8I, I82 and I83, conductor I84, bridging contacts of relay 88, conductor I85, overload relay coil I88, conductor I81, and back through negative conductor I88. Current will also flow through the shunt field I88 from conductor 82 through conductor II8, shunt field I88, conductor III to conductor I88. This will start the motor 22 up slowly and at the same time the gate lifter relay is actuated as stated above, lifting the gates 8 on the coke wharf as the feeder car moves forward. Current will also flow through resistors H2 and H3 which, respectively, shunt resistors IN and I 82. In series with resistors H2 is the coil of relay H4 and, with resistor I I3 the coil of relay H5. The current through these coils will open relays II4 and H5 as shown.

The upper bridging contacts of 'relay 88 close a circuit through the coil of relay II8. Relay H8 is a time delay relay which will close a certain definite time after relay 88 has been closed. When relay II8 closes, the coil of relay I I1 will be energized and the bridging contacts of relay I I1 will shunt out the resistors I'8I and I I2. This will reduce the current flowing through the coil of relay H4 and allow relay I I4 to close. This will energize relay II8 which will shunt out resistors I82 and H3. coil of relay II5 will be reduced allowing relay II5 to fall. This will not cause any reaction because relay 11 is still open as described above which keeps this circuit open.

This shunting of the series resistors is timed by suitably controlling the operation of the various relays and allows the current through the motor 22 to increase, speeding it up to its maximum forward speed.

When the feeder car reaches the end of its forward line of travel, the reversinglimit switch 31 will be automatically closed and the reversing limit switch 28 will be opened. This will stop the motor 22 and reverse .it. The closing of the limit switch 31 will actuate relays II8, I28, I2I

The current through the turn run, reversing limit switch 31 will be opened,

and reversing limit switch 28 will be closed and the cycle will then be repeated.

In case the coke should be still too hot after- I it has been quenched and dumped on the wharf 5, it will be desirable to keep it on the wharf for a longer time or to further quench the coke. To ascertain this, a heat sensitive cell H is carried on the feeder car. When the feeder car reaches a place where the coke is too hot, the

heat sensitive cell 4I will actuate relay 42 which will open the control circuits completed by the reversing limit switch 28 and stop the feeder car, allow the lifter bar I8 to be lowered and drop the gates. The upper bridging contacts of relay 42 will complete the circuit to sound an alarm or light a lamp as indicated at I25.

In the meantime the coke fed by the feeder car I1 to the conveyer 8 is carried to a crusher and screen and then to conveyers 48 and 48 to the loading station where awaits an empty car 58 to be filled. The empty car will be filled in each section until the coke pilerises to such a height that the light beam focused on the photoelectric cell 54 is interrupted and it will then def energize the circuit of cell 54 which had been previously energized by the closing of relays 8|. Relay I28 consequently will be deenergized which will then actuate relays I21, I28 and I28. The closing of relay I21 will in turn actuate relays I38 and I3I, and the closing of relay I3I will start the winch motor 52 and start the car 88 moving. The closing of relay I38 will close relay I32 sealing in relays I38 and I3I.

The automatic starter for the winch motor 82 g is shown at I33. As part of the starter a relay I34 isactuated in such a way that it will be closed when the winch motor 52 reaches full speed.

54 having been reenergized in the meantime shunts relay I35 so allows relays I21, and I26 close.

Relay I28 energizes the coils of hand reset time delay relays I36 and I3! which will open it the car is not moved by the winch II after a certain length of time. Relay I29 is used in a manner that will now be described.

Beside photo-electric cells 54 there are also cells 55 and 56 placed as shown in Figure 9 with respect to the cars 50 to be loaded. When the to open and I29 to back end of the first car passes cell 56, after the car has been started to move by the action of cell 54, cell 56 is energized by a suitably focused light from the other side of the car. This actuates relay I38 and when cell 54 is reenergized allowing relay I29 to fall and close, relays I39, I49 and III are actuated. Relay I49 opens the circuit of relay 62, thereby stopping the operation of the conveyers, crushers, screens, and the feeder car. Relay I4I seals in relays I39, I40 and HI. Relay I39 regular time, the winch is not shut down but will be kept operating so that theloaded car will be moved out of the way and an emptycar replace it. 4

When the end of the loaded car passes cell 56 allowing it to be energized by a suitable focused light, relay I43 is actuated. .This' in-turn actu-J ates relays I44, I45 and I46. Relay I44 shunts both relays I35 and I39, so that when cell 55 is deenergized dropping out relay I39, the winch circuit is kept intact. Relay I45 keeps the conveyers, crushers, screen and the feeder car I I shut down. Relay I46 breaks the interlocking circuit when cell 55 is deenergized, the circuits set up by it will operating until the end of the next empty car interceptsthe beams of cells 55 and 56 and deenergizes their circuits, whereupon the winch is stopped and the conveyers, crushers, screens and feeder car are put back in operation so. that the next empty car may be loaded.

In the above description we have described our invention as used in connection with one coke wharf but it can be adapted for use with a plurality of coke operator equally as well. illustrated the manner in could be operated by an operator's pulpit I41.-

With the use of our device a great amount of labor is eliminated and it reduces the wear and tear on the conveyer belts. Prevents hot coke from reaching the conveyers. Provides a more uniform and efllcient crushing, screening, and loading of coke due to the constant ilow of material. handling the coke feeding. Enables In Figure 7 we have which two coke wharfs operator located in the is obtained.

As illustrated and described, we have included the steps of crushing and screening the coke as a part of the operation, but we wish it understood that one or both of these steps may be eliminated, if desired, without departing-from the spirit of our invention;

Although we have shown and described our invention in considerable detail, we do not wish .Llfto be limited to the exact and specific details actuates relay. I42 which formed by relays MI and I42 sothatbe opened, thereby keeping the winch 5| that when I opens at its wharfs all controlled byone Increases the possible hourly rate of;

due to .the constant rate of shown and described, but may use such substitutions, modifications or equivalents thereof, as are embraced within the scope of our invention or as pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: a

1. In an automatic car loader, a car adapted to be loaded progressively, a conveyer for feeding material to the car, a winch having a connection with the car, a motor for actuating the winch, an electric circuit for said winch motor, and a'photo-electric cell responsive to a beam of light for controlling the electric circuit to the winch motor to intermittently advance the carduring the loading operation when the height to interrupt the beam of light.

2. In an automatic car loader, a car adapted to be loaded progressively, conveying means for feeding material to the car, a winch having a connection with the car, a motor for actuating the winch, an electric circuit to said winch motor, a photo-electric cell responsive to a beam of light interrupted by the height of material in the car for controlling the electric circuit to the winch motor to intermittently advance the car during the car loading operation, and a photoelectric cell responsive to a beam of light for controlling electric circuits to automatically stop the feed of the conveying means to the car and to control the winch motor to actuate the winch to advance the car after the car loading operation. a I

3. In an automatic car loader, a car adapted to be loaded progressively having an electric con- 5. A material handling apparatus comprising an inclined wharf adapted to receive the material thereon,'a conveyer for receiving the material from the wharf, a plurality of gates at the front edge of the wharf for controlling the feed of the material from the wharf to the conveyer, a

conveyer, a winch reciprocating feeder car mounted on atrack to travel above the conveyer having means mounted thereon for opening and closing the gates in sequence, a motor for propelling the feeder car, a

motor actuated means for the conveyer, con trolling circuits for the feeder car and conveyer,

loaded progressively by the the height of material in the car for controlling the electric circuit to the inch motor to intermittently advance the ca urlng the car loading operation, and a photo -electric cell responsive to a beam of light for controlling circuits interlocked with the controlling circuits for the feeder car and conveyer to automatically stop the feed of the conveyer to the car and to control the winch motor to actuate the winch to advance the car after the car loading operation.

6. A material handling apparatus an inclined wharf adapted to receive material thereon, a conveyer for receiving the material from the wharf, motor actuated means for driving the conveyer, a plurality of gates at the front edge of the wharf for controlling the feed of the material from the wharf to the conveyer, a reciprocating feeder car mounted on a track .to travel above the-conveyer having means mounted thereon for opening and closing the gates in sequence, a motor for propelling the feeder car, controlling circuits for the feeder car and the conveyer, a car adapted to be loaded progressively by'the conveyer, a motor actuated means having a. connection circuit to said motor actuated means for the car, a photo-electric cell responsive to a beam of light interrupted by the the car for controlling the electric circuit to the motor actuated means for the car to intermittently advance the car during the loading opercomprising 7 with said car, an electric height of the material in,

connection with the car, a motor loaded car beyond the discharge end of the conveyer and an empty car into loading position, and a controlling means actuated by the movement' of the empty car to automatically resume feeding and conveying the material at the beginning of each car loading operation.

'8. A coke handling apparatus comprising an inclined wharf adapted to receive coke spread thereon,a motor actuated conveyer at the lower edge of the inclined wharf, a-plurality of gates at the lower edge of the wharf for controlling they feed of the material from the wharf to the conveyer, a feeder car mounted on a track adapted to travel above the conveyer having means mounted thereon for opening and closing the gates in sequence, a motor for reciprocating the feeder car, controlling circuits for the feeder car and conveyer, a car adapted to be loaded progressively by the conveyer, a winch having a for actuating the winch, an electric circuit to said winch motor, a photo-electric cell responsive to a beam of light interrupted by the height of material in the car for controlling the electric circuit to the winch motor to intermittently advance the car during the car loading operation, a photo-electric cell responsive to a beam of light for controlling a circuit interlocked with the controlling circuits for the feeder car and conveyer to automatically stop the feed of the conveyer to the car and to control the winch motor to actuate the winch to advance the loaded car beyond the discharge end of the conveyer and an empty car into loading position, and a photo-electric cell ation, and a photo-electric cell responsive to a beam of light for controlling circuits interlockedv with the controlling circuits for the feeder car and conveyer to automatically stop the feed of the conveyer to the actuated means for thecar to advance said car car and to control the motor beyond the discharge end of the conveyer after the car loading operation.

7. A material handling apparatus comprising an inclined wharf adapted to receive material spread thereon, a conveyer at the lower edge of the inclined wharf, a motor actuated means for the conveyer, a plurality of gates at the lower edge of the wharf for controlling the feed of the materialfrorn the wharf to the conveyer, a feeder car mounted on a track adapted to travel above the conveyer having means mounted thereon for opening and closing the gates, a motor for reciprocating the feeder car, electrical control circuits for the feeder car and conveyer, cars connected together for receiving the material from the conveyer, electrical control circuit for the car receiving the material from the conveyer interlocked with the electrical circuits for the feeder car and conveyer, said electrical circuit for the car having controlling, means therein actuated by the height of the material in the car for intermittently advancing the car during the loading operation, a controlling means actuated by the movement of the loaded car to stop the feed of the material and to advance the responsive-to a beam of light actuated by the movement of the car for controlling a circuit interlocked with the controlling circuits for the feeder car and conveyer for actuating the feeding and conveying means at the beginning of each car loading operation.

9. A material handling apparatus comprising an inclined wharf adapted to receive the material thereon, a conveyer for receiving the material from the wharf, motor actuating means for the conveyer, a plurality of gates at the front edge of the wharf for controlling the feed of the material from the wharf to the conveyer, a reciprocating feeder car mounted on a track to travel above the conveyer having means mounted thereon for opening and closing the gates, a motor for propelling the feeder car, controlling circuits for the feeder car and conveyer, a car adapted to be loaded progressively by the conveyer, a motor actuated means for the car, an electric control for said car interlocked with the controlling circuits for the feeder car and the conveyer, said electric control having a photoelectric cell responsive to a beam of light interrupted by the height of material in the car for controlling the electric circuit to intermittently advance the car during the car loading operation, a photo-electric cell responsive to a beam and a photo-electric cell responsive to a beam of light for automatically controlling the circuits for actuating the feeding and conveying means at the beginning of each car loading operation.

BENJAMIN W. WINSHIP. FLOYD S. ECKHARDT 

